Silent & Gray
by Perfect-Wretched
Summary: When a freak accident turns all of Aah upside down, Marshall Lee is the only one left who can console Fionna. Now he has to decide once and for all whether to stay her friend and save her from herself, to take advantage of her broken state, or even to abandon her entirely as a burden. Rated T for some language and possibly suggestive themes later on. Marshall Lee's POV.
1. Prologue

*Beep beep*

_It's her again. _

*Beep beep*

I opened my eyes slowly and turned over in the air, floating comfortably above my bed. I watched the phone vibrate on my night stand, half hoping I wouldn't get to it before it shut off and half apprehensive at myself for even thinking about something as much of a dick move as that. But it _was _her; I could see the caller ID from here. And I already knew what she would say.

*Beep beep*

_It sounds sad_… I grimaced at the stupid thought and sighed through my nose once, even though I didn't technically need to breathe. Old habits die hard, I guess.

*Beep beep*

"Pick up, Marshall," I hissed to myself, glaring at the phone. "She needs you."

I still couldn't make myself move. It had been the same thing for about a month now, ever since _that_ had happened. 3 o'clock in the morning, and she would call me, needing someone to talk to, someone's shoulder to cry on. I was the only thing she had left now. And yet, I still was just a friend.

_Shut up,_ I told myself angrily, reaching for the phone in defiance to that single thought. _Of course you're just a friend. You've always been like that to her. Always will be, too, if you know what's good for her. _

I pushed my internal conversation away, clearing my throat, and sat up, running a hand through my hair. With another fake breath, I clicked the 'talk' button on the phone and held it up to my ear.

"Hey."

"Hey." Her voice sounded tinny and small as though we were talking through two cans connected by a string. She paused for a moment, and I could almost see her face in my mind; the same expression she'd had at the funeral. Broken, and stunned, like the world had just pulled the rug out from under her feet. "I was afraid you weren't going to pick up."

It was my turn to be silent and I pulled one of my knees up to my chest, circling my arm around it and resting my chin on the top. "…I wouldn't do that to you."

"Well, good. That'd be totally uncool." She almost sounded like herself when she said things like that, but it was so different now. I didn't know if she would ever be like she used to. "Hey, Marshall?"

"Mm?"

"Can you come over? Cake's out helping again, and I…" I could tell that she pulled away from the phone, regaining her composure for a minute before coming back. "I don't want to be alone."

"Yeah. I'll be over in a sec." I promised quietly.

"Thanks. Hey…Marshall?"

"Still here."

"Thanks. I mean, for doing stuff like this. Just until I get back on my feet." She breathed heavily, then, like she was trying to keep from crying. "Y'know, just…thanks."

"Yeah, Fionna. I know. What are friends for, right?"

With that, she hung up. I lowered the phone, looking at it dully before turning it off and throwing it at the nightstand, where it skittered before falling onto the floor with a small 'thunk'. Still floating about two feet above the bed, I rolled over and off of it, grabbing my pants off the ground and yanking a random shirt off its hanger from my open closet. I went to pull it on, stopping when I realized which shirt it was.

_Marshall Lee, the Vampire King, _it read on the front in letters that dripped red. That's all it was, a plain black shirt with writing on it, but I threw it back into the closet like it had been a poisonous snake and snatched another one. I couldn't wear that shirt around Fionna. Not when I knew who'd given it to me. I put on the red plaid one instead, rolling up the sleeves deftly.

A quick run-through of my hair with my hands and I was ready to go, floating quickly down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind me.

It was so quiet, nowadays. Like all of Aah was holding its breath, waiting for something to change. Birds didn't really sing anymore, and even the ghosts and wizards weren't out doing stupid stuff. So quiet, except for maybe the wind through the trees.

The sun wasn't out yet, but I kept my umbrella with my anyways, just in case I had to get back before nightfall.

I looked around, knowing it was all the same scenes. _It's gray, too_. The thought struck me as kinda odd, but it was true. Even though it was still really early in the morning, it just looked like nothing was as colorful anymore. Just like the people. Nothing was the same.

I finally reached Fionna and Cake's tree house, stopping to peer up at one of the windows. Fionna was in there, waiting. Waiting for someone to make her feel okay, for something to suddenly change for the better. Maybe even for someone to jump out and say, 'Kidding! Everything's fine!'. I felt sorry for her, sometimes, when I wasn't tired, annoyed, and angry at her for being so clingy. Things just hadn't been the same since the day Gumball died, and I knew she was waiting for a happy ending that might not ever come true.

"Hey, whadda guy," I muttered to myself. "No worries, princess locked in a tower, in comes your forever friend-zoned knight to save the day. Again." I knocked on the front door, mentally preparing myself for another day of the same.

Outside, the world ran around and around as though nothing had ever happened and reality stayed the same, stopping for no one, not even if their own, personal world had crumbled to pieces.

_**A/N: I know Marshall's OOC. I am sorry. I'm kind've trying to play the whole 'this-is-a-different-situation-so-they-behave-differently" card. Let me know what you think of it so far.**_

_**So yeah, this is a bit dark and somber, which is kind of alien to me, since I usually write a bit more in the comedic light, so let me know how I'm doing in that department as well. **_


	2. 1 Month Earlier

~*1 Month Earlier*~

"Cut it out, Marshall!"

"C'mon, Fionna, jump!" I laughed, waving her sword above her head and floating out of the way when she made to grab it, my black umbrella in my other hand to keep the sun away. It was cute how her face turned red when she got mad, and I tried to annoy her as much as possible when I could, if only to see it turn colors. "Reach!"

"Dude! Quit being a jerk!" There was that lip, turned up indignantly, her arms stiffly at her sides. I couldn't help it; I started laughing even harder, almost bringing myself to tears.

"Okay, okay," I said between chuckles, tossing her sword so that it landed point first in the soil at her feet. "You got me. Have your stupid sword back."

She grabbed it and with a swift pull, had it out of the ground. "Not cool, man." She huffed.

I floated down next to her, tugging playfully on one of her bunny ears. "Aw, c'mon, you were laughing, too." I grinned, seeing the beginnings of a wry smile forming on her face. She pushed my hand away and took a few steps back, waving the sword warningly in my face.

"You know I hate it when you mess with my hat," she grumbled, pulling it down tighter around her head, but smiling despite herself.

I rolled my eyes and blew a raspberry, slouching over. "Pthhb, yeah. Why do you think I do it?"

Suddenly, there was a sound that made both of us look up in surprise. It was like a huge explosion, and it didn't sound like good news. We both turned towards the Candy Kingdom from where the noise had come from and were completely shocked by what we saw.

The castle was gone; leveled to the ground, it looked like, from the rubble that decorated where it used to be. All around it, the ground had turned brown, and it looked like the city had been lowered into a giant crater by a few feet. Only about half of the Kingdom stood, and at the edges of the blast area, you could see the buildings crumbling and small blobs of candy people running around.

A new sound reached my ears, then, one that sounded an awful lot like screaming. Both me and Fionna exchanged shocked looks, and she started running down the hill, tucking the sword into her backpack.

"Come on, Marshall!" she shouted back at me, her voice cracking from worry.

I hesitated for a moment, looking at the ground and switching the umbrella to my other hand. I knew what it was that she was so worried about. The city, sure, and all the innocent candy people inside, plus her cat, who was on a date with that monochromicorn guy. But mostly, her concern was saved for that Gumball guy. Not that it really bothered me all that much. I was cool with being 'just a friend'; I figured that she needed someone like that, with half of Aah being completely infatuated with her. And besides, it would be so awkward if we tried to date. Still, I wondered if she would be so upset if I were there and not him.

"Marshall!"

"Y-yeah. Coming," I said, floating down. Even with her legs going as fast as she could run, she wasn't going to get to the Candy Kingdom in time to really do anything. Realizing this, I floated next to her face and held out the hand that wasn't holding my umbrella.

"Need a lift?"

Without a word, she grabbed my hand with both of hers, and we took off, flying pretty fast and in no time, we were right at the city gates. She let go of my hand and landed perfectly on her feet, running towards the Peppermint chick who was Gumball's right-hand man.

"Peppermint Maid!" Fionna exclaimed, waving her hand. "What happened here?!"

I landed on the ground, too, walking over to stand by her. Up close, the damage was even worse. You could see where the castle had completely collapsed, and there were candy people streaming out of the city, passing by us and herded by various people who had worked at the castle. They all looked awful, some of them missing pieces of themselves and so many crying. I whistled low, which earned me a sharp jab in the ribcage.

"What?" I hissed, rubbing my side. "What'd I do?"

"Oh, Fionna, it was awful," the peppermint began, shaking her head. "Witnesses say that Cinnamon Bun fell off the tower and right between Goliad and Stormo. The molecular atoms that they were transmitting back and forth must have become disturbed and spread out in a massive shock wave, completely destroying the castle and half the Candy Kingdom. We're still looking for survivors of the initial impact."

"What about Gumball? Where is he?"

I glanced over at the tone of her voice. She looked like she sounded; on the brink of hysterics. I could tell that she was about three seconds away from grabbing the little maid and shaking her. I nudged her gently in the side, just to remind her that I was here; not that I was the one she was worried about, but just that I was here as a friend. To my surprise, her hand grabbed mine and squeezed once, hard, and didn't let go. I didn't either, though I still wouldn't be able to say it was because I wanted to show her friendly support.

"We haven't found him yet," the small maid's voice quivered and she hid her face in her hands. "We are searching fervently for him."

"What?!" Fionna's voice went up by several scales, turning it into a squeak, and her hand gripped mine painfully. "What do you mean?! You're gonna find him, right?!"

"Ow," I muttered. "Fionna, calm down. It's alright. They'll find him." I said, trying to catch her attention from the side of her face. She half-turned to me, her face frozen in terror.

"But what if-" she began, barely containing the trembles that wracked her frame.

"Hey, he survived the Lich, right?" I smiled, raising an eyebrow and squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I think he'll be around for a long time."

"Y-yeah…yeah. You're right." She attempted smiling, squeezing back weakly.

"Fionna!" A furry shape flew out of nowhere, launching itself at Fionna and holding her tight. In her shock, she let go of my hand to catch her stretchy cat, who hugged her and then leaned back, tears in her eyes and her ears back. "Oh, sweet mother of goodness, I am so relieved you're okay!" she exclaimed. "We were just at this adorable little roadside place, y'know, the one with the kebabs, and-but-oh! And then the explosion and…_I was so WORRIED_. Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Cake?" Fionna smiled back, still worried. "Oh Glob, I was so afraid you were gone, too!" she hugged her back before pulling out and looking up. "But where's Lord Monochromicorn? Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's fine, honey. He's helping the guards look for Gumball right now." At the look on Fionna's face, she reached up and patted her on the cheek. "Don't worry, baby, they'll find him."

"That's what I said," I interjected, my arms folded across my chest and the umbrella leaning against my shoulder, partially annoyed with the cat for ruining that 'special' little moment. And annoyed at myself for being annoyed about it. "Except without the 'baby'."

"I don't see _you_ helping," Cake growled under her breath, glaring at me sideways.

"Hey, hey, Cake, it's okay. Marshall's cool," Fionna said, patting Cake's head. She straightened and turned back to Peppermint Maid. "Peppermint Maid, I want to help with the search and clean-up. What can I get started on?"

"Oh, no, Fionna, it's quite alright," she replied, waving dismissively. "We have it under control. Don't worry."

"No, see, I want to _help_," Fionna said pointedly. "Just give me a job, man, c'mon."

"No, no, it's fine."

"No, it's _not_ 'fine'." Her voice started cracking again, and her eyes looked like they were about to be swimming with tears. "I need to help you with something. We need to find him. And help and stuff. C'mon, Peppermint Maid."

The maid looked up and met my eyes, conveying a message to me with a simple look. A message I could understand and agree with wholeheartedly. _Don't let Fionna be the one to find Gumball if he didn't survive. _Even though I still stood by what I said about him being alive, I had to remember that Fionna had a serious thing for this guy. If she found him dead…

"Fionna, hey, it's cool." I said quietly, tugging on her shirt. "Let's just hang out until they find him. I've got some awesome records we can listen to."

For once, I was grateful for the cat's quick thinking, and she soon joined in. "Yeah, and you know what, I think I saw a packet of flour in the cupboard the other day. We can make some muffins and cuddle up by the fire. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"No, I want to help," Fionna protested, shrugging me off. She started walking towards the pile that once was the Candy Kingdom determinedly. Thinking quick, I floated over and grabbed her hand again, levitating just behind her and looking just over her shoulder.

"Listen," I whispered. "They can do the job."

"No, Marshall," she whispered back, her shoulders shaking.

"And…well, I wasn't supposed to tell you, but he's alright. And he's planning to surprise you." I swore inwardly at myself for telling a lie, but I didn't see any other way that I could get her away from the wreckage. I couldn't tell her the truth; I had to pretend that I still believed heart and soul that he was alive. _Gumball, you'd better get your pink behind back to the world of the living,_ I thought venomously.

"I don't believe that for one second," she mumbled, glaring at her feet.

"No, no, look, he's under there, but he knows you'll get upset if he's hurt. He's alive, but he's waiting for you to go away."

She was silent for several minutes before she spoke up again. "You promise?"

I grinned, floating upside down and over her, still holding onto her hand. "I solemnly swear. Cross my heart and hope to die." I intoned, placing her hand over where my heart would have been.

She pulled her hand out of my grasp and used it to punch me on the shoulder in weak playfulness. The edge of her mouth quirked upwards. "Alright, but you'd better not be lying."

"Me?" I faked hurt, floating all the way over her and flipping right-side-up. "Nah."

She smiled, a tone of relief touching her features. I felt a familiar pang in my chest, but brushed it aside. What kind of guy moves in on a girl whose boy might be dead? The wrong kind, that's who. Not me, not today.

"Yep, so I'd better be getting back to the treehouse, then, if you've got all this under control. Here I go," she said, a little louder than need be, turning to walk back.

I stayed a little ways behind, feeling a lot worse than I should have. _Did I really help? Or did I make things worse? _Cake popped up next to me, still glaring at me distrustfully.

"What on earth did you tell her?" she hissed, so that Fionna wouldn't hear.

"Something," I muttered evasively. "It's none of your business, cat." I looked up at the sky, turning pink in preparation for the sun to fall below the horizon. I was reminded of a time when I was younger and I wanted desperately to drink the red out of that beautiful color. _You'd better come back, Gumhead_, I thought towards the sky, more pleading than threatening. _You had better be okay._

_**A/N: ….I teared up while writing this. And I feel like a jerk. Even though I didn't technically do anything, it's just a story of a parody of a story, and I'm not even male, but…definitely one of my more emotional chapters. **_

_**And it's not even at the emotional part. Oh, boy…**_


	3. In the Night

Fionna was twitching all that night.

Every time a branch brushed up against the window, she was up on her feet, throwing the door open; obviously waiting for someone to come and bring us news about the lost prince. Hour after hour, me, Cake, and Fionna all sat around the fire and curled up in blankets. At first, the cat and I didn't get along so well, and just about every other few minutes, a small fight would break out, usually ending up with Fionna smacking us both down and telling us to be quiet. Then as time started to wear us out, we just talked. It started raining about halfway through, and Fionna got quieter as the night went on.

"Hey, Fionna, remember when that Flame Prince ran through here, and you were all like, 'Man, he's hot!'" I said, poking her on the shoulder and chuckling.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "Gumball's water-work things kept him from setting the treehouse on fire."

Cake and I exchanged looks. She was really worried about Fionna, and I couldn't blame her. I was worried, too. I leaned closer, trying to catch those beautiful blue eyes with my own.

"You're not crying, are you?" I asked, half joking and half feeling like an idiot.

"No way, man," she pushed me away, hard, and a grin began creeping across my face. She looked up, her face defiant. Now, there was the girl I knew. Looking just like she could take on the world itself without a second thought. All strong and junk.

"What about you, Marshall?"

"Eh?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Who's your crush?"

_You._

"I'm a thousand-year-old vampire," I laughed, though it sounded fake and nervous to me. "I don't have little kid 'crushes'. I've gone out with a bunch of girls, though-"

"No, no, I mean, someone that you really liked. Not just went out with, stupid."

"Oh…" I paused for a moment. _Should I tell her the truth?_ "I…"

"I'll get it," Cake called, getting up to open the front door. Both me and Fionna looked at her in surprise. Had someone knocked on the door? Forgetting me entirely in a flash, Fionna jumped up just as Cake opened the door. There, standing in the doorway, was Peppermint Maid, soaked thoroughly from the rain. Though I couldn't really see much between Fionna and Cake, she looked haggard.

"Come on inside, you must be freezing!" Cake exclaimed, pulling her in.

"Did you find him?" Fionna asked, that desperate look seeping into her eyes again.

"Thank you very much," Peppermint Maid sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting down on it. I floated over to them, realizing with a pang that her hands were covered in mud; probably from the wrecked tower. She flopped over in it, as though she were dead tired, and didn't speak for a moment. I could tell with a quick glance at Fionna that she was itching to have her question answered, but knew that right now the small candy person needed her breath. Finally, Peppermint Maid looked up, her eyes hollow.

"The prince," she said quietly, "is dead."

The treehouse tilted crazily, and I wondered dully if someone was trying to chop it down. _The prince is dead. _Those four words ran around and around in my head, like some twisted game of chase. I felt sick, even though I was a vampire and couldn't get sick. _The prince is dead. _

"No," Fionna said firmly, her shoulders shaking. She turned and walked straight past me, shouldering me out of the way without meeting my eyes. I didn't look back, but I could hear her door slam shut; hard enough that the treehouse gave a little shake.

Cake was trying to talk to the maid, but she waved off her questions and said something about a service tomorrow. A funeral for the former prince of the Candy Kingdom.

_A funeral? No way. A funeral for Gumball._ I found my way to a chair and fell down on it more than sat, running a hand through my hair. I was a jerk. I was a real jerk. Gumball was dead, and I felt like it was my fault. Maybe if Fionna had stayed, she could have saved him. Maybe she could have helped, and this wouldn't have happened at all.

"Can't you just put him back together?" I asked quietly; the words appearing out of my mouth before I realized I was speaking. "Like you did when he fell into the Lich's pool."

"He wasn't dead, then," Peppermint Maid replied. "We were able to put him together because he wasn't fully dead. This time, he did not survive." She barely managed to get that sentence out before she burst into tears. Cake patted her on the back, murmuring comforting things.

"Marshall," Cake hissed to me. "What. Did you tell. Fionna?"

"I told her he was alive," I breathed, hiding my face in my hands. "I told her he was fine, that he was just waiting for the right moment to come out."

"_Marshall_," her eyes went wide and disbelieving. Then she got angry. Her arm stretched over to where I was and slapped me soundly across the cheek. My head snapped to the side from the impact, but otherwise, I didn't move. I felt hollow, and drained. _This wasn't supposed to happen,_ I kept thinking. _This wasn't how it was supposed to go._

"Get out. Get out and don't you_ dare_ come back. You hear me?!" she growled, keeping her voice just low enough that Fionna wouldn't hear, her fur bristling. "If I see you so much as five feet from Fionna, I'll kick your vampire behind so hard you'll be feeling it for weeks."

I didn't say anything; couldn't say anything. There was nothing that could make this better, and I knew it. So, without a single word in reply, I stood up, opened the door, and walked out.

I didn't realize I had reached my cave until I was standing at the mouth of it, staring dully up at it and watching the rain turn the rock slick and shiny. What had I done? Gumball was gone, half the Candy Kingdom was in ruins…and I'd lied to Fionna. _Oh, Glob. Fionna. I'm sorry_. I felt tears build up in my eyes, something that hadn't happened for a long while. They mixed with the rain, running down my cheeks, and as I stood there, I could only think of how badly I'd screwed up.

_I'm sorry, Fionna. I'm so sorry._

_**A/N: And here we are again, folks. The PLOT thickens. Not really. **_

_**Review and tell me how badly it sucked! 8Db**_


	4. The Funeral

I pulled on a suit which had been crumpled in a ball in the corner of my closet and combed back my hair, picking up a fancy-looking umbrella that I'd bought half-price from that weird goose. I glanced sideways at my phone, wrapped around my bedside lamp, but decided against bringing it. People don't usually bring phones to funerals, do they? I didn't think so. Best to leave it, then.

As I started out the door, I wondered if Fi would still hate me. It was cool with me if she did. After that night, I pretty much just stayed and rotted in my room for a few days until the funeral date. I didn't even feel like playing my bass. There weren't any songs in my head, no lyrics to put them to anyways. I felt horrible, but after a while, I got used to it. Maybe she would hate me for the rest of my life, but did it really matter? And didn't I deserve it, really?

The sun wasn't shining; there were dark clouds over it, so I hung my umbrella on my arm. I was pretty sure I knew how to get to the cemetery, since I'd been there a few times myself, but I left a little early, just in case I got lost. To my surprise, I knew my way there better than I thought and was at the iron gates in no time. I looked up at the archway, spelling out 'Cemetery' in decorative letters, intertwined with vines. Next to it was a small sign, saying that Gumball's funeral was being held on the western edge of the grounds and to just follow the signs.

A little ways into the cemetery itself was Peppermint Maid, dressed in a little black dress and clasping her hands together in an attempt to appear relaxed. Anyone could see, if they looked close enough, that she was grasping them so hard, there were indentations in her skin from where her nails dug in.

"Hey," I greeted, floating over. "I came early, is that okay?"

"Oh," she looked up, a bit startled, but regained her composure quickly. "Yes, that's quite alright. Thank you for coming."

"Yeah, no problem." There was an awkward silence, then. In that moment, I realized that she, like everything else in Aah, looked kind of gray, like the color was just slowly draining away. I wondered for a moment if I looked like that, too.

"So how are you holding up?" I asked, the silence almost painful.

"Fine, I suppose. The clean-up is going very well. The kingdom should be up and running again in a few months." The words, as I guessed, were supposed to be comforting, but her voice was hollow, as though nothing could pull her up from a depression this deep.

I nodded in sympathy, wracking my brain for something to say, when I saw a few people start to stream in from the gates. A few candy people, at least, the ones who weren't recovering or already buried here, a couple of princes from neighboring kingdoms, and, there, at the back of the shuffling line, was Fionna. She was wearing a black dress, like the maid, that showed off her delicate shoulders and fancy-looking shoes. I felt a twinge of amusement at the fact that she wasn't wearing high-heels; her hatred for those things, at least, hadn't changed.

She was talking with Cake, who had a black ribbon tied around her neck. As they approached the gate, she looked up and caught my eye. I couldn't tell what the expression that crossed her face was, but it sent my stomach plunging down to my feet. Hurt, anger, and…something else. I would have liked to tell myself that it was forgiveness, or even a sign that she'd missed me over those days we lost, but I wasn't sure what it was at all.

I turned away and followed the throng of people towards a grave with a coffin beside it. An angel, beautifully detailed, bowed her head towards the open pit, and I swore that it looked like she was crying. We all settled into these chairs, as Peppermint Maid began the ceremony.

I was uncomfortable the entire time, my head bowed and listening to the quiet sobs that echoed around me. Finally, the first part was over, and now was the time when we could go up to the coffin and say goodbye to the prince. First up was Lumpy Space Prince, who was trying not to cry and blubbering something like 'how dare you die on me'. A few candy people went by, each soulfully expressing a hole left in their soul from the departure of their beloved ruler. Starchy ended up on his knees and screaming, "Oh, Glob, why!?".

"Hey, Gumball. It's me," at the sound of her voice, quiet and choked with unshed tears, I looked up. Fionna was standing by the coffin, one hand resting on the glass longingly and Cake standing by her, patting her back comfortingly. "I heard you were getting buried today. Not cool, dude." Her eyes started to fill up then, and she angrily brushed them away. "I…I'm gonna miss you, GB. But I swear I'll make sure that your kingdom is safe. I'll work extra hard, I promise. So…so don't worry, okay? I'll be fine. I'll be fine."

Tears started their tracks down her face and she walked away stiffly to cry into Cake's shoulder. It was my turn, then, and I stood, walking over to the coffin with a quick glance at Fionna. I looked down through the glass at Gumball. He looked like he was just sleeping, all dressed up in clothes even more formal than he usually wore. Peppermint Maid probably picked them out for him. He was the only color in this entire world, it seemed like. _Gumball, you dick,_ I thought grimly. _You took all our color._

"Marshall Lee here," I began, "Hey, Gumhead. I've got something to get off my chest before you go. I mean, you're already gone, but- ugh, you know what I mean." I took a false breath through the nose, smelling the saltiness from the tears and the coming rain. "I lied to Fi. I lied about you. It was all a gamble, and I lost, bad. I thought you'd be okay. And I realize that makes me a huge jerk. You understand, don't you? I didn't want her to cry." I chuckled ruefully. "Some friend, huh, guy? Well, anyway…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lying about you. I'm sorry I didn't help out. I'm sorry for everything."

The rest of my little speech stuck in my throat, choking me. I was going to say that I'd help, that I was going to become a vigilante defender of the kingdom, but was I going to lie again? Would anything really change? Instead, I closed my eyes, blocking out the dismal scene with everyone gathered around his coffin and the crying angel, and pretended that I was just leaving his castle after hanging out with him and Fi.

"Bye," I breathed, quieter than I thought it would come out. With that, I turned and went back to my seat, opening my eyes only enough to see where I was going. Just like when Peppermint Maid told us that he was dead, the word rang around in my head, hammered into my skull and blocking everything else out_. Bye._ The rest of the service passed by in a blur, and before I knew it, I was headed out the gate, feeling drops of beginning rain on my head. Suddenly, jerking me back to reality, I felt a hand on my arm.

"Wait, Marshall."

I turned around, half in surprise and half bracing myself for the torrent that was coming. It was Fionna, her eyes still swollen from crying, but her mouth set in a determined line.

"Hey, Fi." I said tiredly. "Look, about what happened-"

She shook her head, sending her hair swiveling around her head. I noticed that didn't have her usual bunny-eared hat on. Instead, her blonde hair was piled up in a cute bun that was coming undone. "That's okay." She interrupted quietly. "I didn't know. I didn't know that you did it…to try and save me." She breathed in deeply and swallowed hard, attempting a smile. "Thanks."

I was shocked. Wasn't this her cue to beat me up? Shout and scream about how much she hated me for that lie? Wasn't Cake going to fling herself at me and cut up my face or something like that? I craned my head over her shoulder, but couldn't see the cat. "Hey, where's Cake?"

"Stayed behind to help them…move the…" She stopped, but I knew what she was going to say.

I could hear her heartbeat in the silence that passed between us, as the rain intensified and the stream of people lessened. One…two…three beats went by before I could make myself say anything in response.

"So…why aren't you mad at me?" Mentally, I facepalmed, but I did want to know. In response, she looked down, her grip on my arm tightening.

"I..I was mad at you. A lot. But right now, I need you more than ever. I need friends, Marshall. Can you…can you be that for me?"

Responding to a feeling deep in my gut, I reached around and hugged her close, gently. "No prob, Fi. You can count on me for anything, okay? I swear to Glob I won't lie to you ever again."

_**A/N: And the story continues! I'm trying to stick to a plotline just after Finn messes around with Flame Princess in Hot to the Touch. (Especially since I just watched 'Burning Low' or whatever, and it's obvious that that ship is unsinkable. Freakin' Titanic. Before it sunk.) I'm also trying to be utterly serious, but I keep wanting to burst into the fanfic saying, "MMM WHATCHA SAAYYYYY~ MMMMM THAT YOU ONLY MEANT WEELLLL~WELL OF COURSE YOU DIIIDDD MMM WHATCHA SAAAAYYYY~" but that would be a bad author. 8}**_


	5. The Truth

"Hey, Marshall."

Fi's voice dragged me away from my disjointed musings of the past month, and I looked up to see her standing in the doorway, a tired smile on her face. I smiled back, feeling sick inside at the way her eyes looked sunken and her skin was paper-like it was so fragile. She looked horrible.

"Hey. Y-" I stopped. I was going to say 'You look great' or something, but then I remembered my promise. Never again. "You look tired."

"I look old," she frowned, furrowing her brow at her shoes. "I look like an elder-toad-juice addict."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant, I just-well… anyways, where's my hug?" Admittedly not my best effort to redirect a conversation, but I didn't know what else to say. I held out my arms and cocked my head to the side a little, trying to pull off the whole 'cute' look. Even though I'm a thousand-year old pasty vampire. "C'mon, bring it in."

"Nah, man, that's cool," she replied, turning to walk back into the house and holding the door open for me. I hung up my umbrella on a little hook she had just inside and grinned at her from over my shoulder.

"Nope," I chuckled, floating towards her and encircling her shoulders with my arms quickly, before she could fight back. "Too late! Feel the love, Fi. Drink it up." I teased, leaning my head over her shoulder and resting it against hers, my tone ridiculously lovey-dovey.

She was silent for a few beats before turning around and hugging me back; tightly, as though she didn't want to let go, and burying her face in the cradle of my left shoulder. I was in total shock for a moment. I really didn't expect her to react like that. I thought she might try and wriggle out of my arms, or even threaten me a little, but…

We stood there like that until she, hesitantly, disentangled herself and started walking away, motioning for me to follow. I watched the back of her head as we went, realizing with a deep sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that she might not ever change back. Would this be Fi from now on?

"So…" I began, feeling the silent like a heavy blanket over my head, "How are things? I mean, have you kicked anyone's butt lately?"

She started up the ladder, shaking her head in response. "No. Aah is really quiet now. I hardly ever even see the Ice Queen. Nobody's up to doing anything, really."

_Except for you, right, Marshall?_ The thought popped up in my head, filled with sarcasm. _You're up for doing something, and I daresay you get closer and closer every time you come here._

_ Shut up._ I swallowed hard, looking away from Fi, who was just now clambering up the ladder that led into hers and Cake's living room. _It's not like that._

"I didn't know what you wanted to do today, so I just got out everything," she was saying, as I finally floated up to the second floor. She was standing next to the couch, messing with Beemo. In front of her, on the table, was the board game we'd finished at least 20 times, and a collection of tapes that were going on their twelfth time being viewed. Not to mention that we'd figured out every loophole and secret room in Beemo's games. But, just like all those other times, I'd put on a smile, nod, and pretend like I'm having the best time of my life. Because it's what she needed.

"Any of them sounds good," I replied, waving at Beemo. "What do you want to play?"

"Um, well, I found the missing card deck for Monster Battle yesterday," she said, putting Beemo down and reaching for the old board game. "They slipped between the floorboards behind the couch."

"Cool," I smiled. "So now we can actually play the game the way it's supposed to be played?"

"Yeah. Unless you don't want to," she glanced up at me pointedly.

I held up my arms. "I absolutely want to. I love to watch you squirm, foolish mortal." I put on a phony accent, wiggling my fingers at her for the last part. It was another egg on to try and get her to play back, but then I did that periodically. It was still part of that hope that refused to die. Fionna will move on. She will be alright.

"Pfft. You're going down, you undead loser." She pulled out the board and pumped her fist in the air. "Let the games…BEGIN!"

~"~

"Hey, Marshall?"

An hour later, we were lying on the floor, the game in front of us and the random pieces spread out all over it. We both were on our second handful of cards, and surprisingly enough, she was actually playing with her very best. Half of my brain still working on whether I should play my Willow Beast or Slime Crusader, I answered with an absentminded, "Hey, Fionna?".

"Remember that time when Gumball's plant died?"

Instantly, alarms went off in my head. Sentences that started with 'remember' or had 'Gumball' in them usually spelled trouble. I peeped up at her from over my cards. She was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the board, her face not showing any sign of being sad. In fact, she looked deep in thought.

"Mmm….yes? You've mentioned it," I said cautiously, finally deciding on the Willow Beast and sliding it over to the Fire Swamp square, watching as the little holographic house was crushed by the creature. "Willow Beast takes village for 22 damage."

"We went to the world of the dead, didn't we?" Again, her voice held that conversational tone, but I had a feeling that this could get ugly, and fast. She grabbed two of her cards and chucked them at the small 'pit' in the middle. "White Seer transfuses with Metallic Limbs to create Shrimp Alchemist."

"Yeah." I could almost taste where this was going, and I didn't like it. "Why would you want to create Shrimp Alchemist? He can't do any damage to my Beast. He's not even an elemental type." I tried to redirect, grabbing one of my small statues and placing it on the Fire Swamp square, on top of the Beast's card. "Pantsed Armada levels up Willow Beast. I'm coming after your Kingdom next, Fi, get ready!"

"Shrimp Alchemist summons George." The small little person projected above her card slammed his hands down on the ground, while a huge, dragon-like monster appeared in front of him. "George takes Willow Beast and Pantsed Armada, earning another turn." The monster smashed through my Willow Beast and grabbed the Armada card, then began walking towards my Kingdom. "George uses Teamwork ability and chooses Shrimp Alchemist, who then levels up George. George takes Kingdom. Game."

I stared at the board in disbelief. "No way! I lost?"

"Marshall."

"I can't believe that! How…since when can Shrimp Alchemist level up Monsters?!"

"Marshall!"

"What?" I looked up to meet her eyes. She was watching me with a calculating look on her face, as though she were a naughty child about to steal from the cookie jar and figuring out exactly how much trouble she'd get in. "Fi…What are you thinking?..." I asked slowly.

"I want to go the land of the dead and bring Gumball back." She said firmly, clutching at the end of her skirt. "I know what you're going to say, but-"

"No." I said flatly. "You can't do that, Fi."

"I know what I'm doing!" she protested.

"Fionna, you can't just waltz into the land of the dead and grab any soul that you want. That's not how it works."

"Like you would know!" She stood up, her face flushed. "You're just jealous!"

"'Jealous'?" I repeated incredulously, standing up myself. "What are you talking about?"

She frowned at me reproachfully. "You're just jealous because I want Gumball back! You think you're not good enough! It's not true, Marshall! You're still my friend, but Gumball's kingdom needs him-"

"Wha-His _kingdom _needs him?! Fi, you're not doing this for his _kingdom_!" I straightened, feeling the pressure of words I hadn't spoken for the month since and even from before the accident. "You're not in this to help Aah, you're in it because you _refuse_ to accept that he won't ever love you back. You just chase after this guy over and over and over again, and it's sickening! I mean, come on! He. Is not. Interested. Is that so hard to grasp? Even if you got him back from death, even if everything was fixed, nothing would change. NOTHING. He would still be putting you off and you would still be following him around like a lovesick fangirl. What about me, huh? What would happen if I were dead? 'Oh, poor Marshall. OH WELL.' Just deal with it, Fionna. Grow up for once."

I couldn't believe I'd said all that. I stood there, disbelieving the words that had just come out of my own mouth and bracing for impact. I couldn't say I was sorry, either. I tried once, twice, but nothing came out. She looked at me, her face set with shock, or anger, or I don't even know what. Wordlessly, she turned around and pointed towards the door.

Numbly, I obliged, floating out and grabbing my umbrella. I didn't know what to think, or what to do, except go home.

_The sun isn't even up yet_, I thought dully.

_**A/N: Ouch. So anyways, there are a few references in this one, but no one but me will get the first one. In the card game, one of the monsters is called a Willow Beast, which is an old OC that I had for Adventure Time. I dropped her because she was…not really Mary Sue, but she wasn't interesting enough. **_

_**Also in the card game, the White Seer and Metallic Limbs forges together to become Shrimp Alchemist. For anyone who is a fan of FMA, this one is a no-brainer. White Seer=Truth+Metal Limbs=Edward Elric. 83**_

_**I didn't want to do something like Card Wars because I haven't seen the full episode and I don't really remember the majority of it. **_


	6. Bad Dreams

I strummed on my bass, gently, listening to the sweet music that it made. There wasn't any particular song in my mind, just a half-interested desire to hear and feel what I'd been deprived of for weeks. I guess when your world has fallen to pieces, there just isn't much room for creativity and beauty. As my fingers moved across the redesigned family axe, my mind drifted. And, inevitably, ended up at Fionna.

Come to think of it, had been a while since I'd heard from her, but that was probably for the best. After all, I did hurt her feelings something awful last time. I could still remember the look on her face when she pointed me out the door.

I was the only one that she trusted now.

I was the only thing keeping her from drifting away with whatever demons were occupying her mind.

What had I done? Saved her, like the hero I sometimes wish I could be? Helped her overcome her fears and sadness? Not me. I'd only accused her of clinging to Gumball in a way that still sickened me, even though I shouldn't have said anything to her like that. There are some lines, some boundaries, that shouldn't be crossed, and I could swear that I'd toed three or five of them.

I leaned my head back and hummed along with the tune my fingers had picked out while my mind was preoccupied. It was a lot more melancholy than I'd intended, but it worked. It wasn't long before I was completely lost in the sound.

The music had pulled me away so far that it took a while for me to realize that the rhythmic ringing in the background wasn't part of my mind. Slowly, I opened my eyes, casting a glance at my phone, which was wrapped around my bedside lamp. Its screen lit up, showing off the name 'FIONNA' and vibrating as though it were some sort of twitchy animal sent to do her bidding.

Still, again, I hesitated. What was it this time? Another problem, no doubt. She'd finally gotten too lonely without me and needed cheering up, which apparently, only I was capable of. Why wasn't Cake helping her? She always said that she was volunteering over at what was left of the Candy Kingdom, cleaning up the mess alongside Lord Monochromicorn. I'd heard they were getting pretty serious, but that didn't excuse leaving her friend to ruminate in her own misery.

Which was exactly what I was doing.

Disgusted by that thought, I sprung forward, reaching for the cell phone just as it stopped ringing. Quickly, I redialed, hoping fervently that I could hand her up an excuse that would be plausible. I could hear the tone, once, twice, before she picked up.

"Marshall?" She sounded panicked, her voice soggy with tears.

"Fi, hey, I'm sorry I couldn't reach the phone-" I began spluttering, but stopped once I heard her sob softly on the other line. Immediately, I felt a huge amount of guilt for not asking what was up with her first, so intent on saving my own skin. "Fi, what's up?"

"Marshall, I…" she paused, taking a breath. "I know you're mad at me, but I need…help. I…I had a dream."

A dream. Right. I resisted the urges to roll my eyes and throw the phone across the room. Just like a little kid running to her parents. I felt sorry for her, but this was almost too much. "Fi, look, I'm not-"

"No, no, just listen. I had…I had a croak dream…" Fionna's voice diminished to hardly above a whisper, hoarse with tears.

Instantly, I was standing. If I'd had a heart, it'd be beating at a million miles per minute. A _croak _dream? Glob, why _now_, of all times? First Gumball, and now I had to worry about losing Fi, too? I clutched at the phone, trying to pull myself back together.

"Are you sure?" I demanded, worry harshening my tone. "Did you see the Cosmic Owl and everything?"

"I'm sure. Marshall, please…?"

I nodded, as though she could see through the phone. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be right over. Just stay put, okay? We'll talk." I halted my train of thought, before adding hesitantly, "If you want me to."

She was quiet, then. The only sound that I could pick out on the other line was her soft breathing and something that could've been her faint heartbeat. She must've been holding the phone to her chest. I felt warmth rise to my cheeks and held the phone a little further away from my ear, inwardly angry with myself for even straying into that type of thought.

"I'm sorry." She said finally. "I know I've been…clingy. I haven't been thinking about you at all. But I really need you this time, Marshall. I'm…I'm so scared."

That was anything and all that I needed. I felt both relief and guilt. "Don't apologize. I'll be over in a sec."

With that, I clicked the phone off and grabbed my black umbrella, heading out of the door as fast as I could. There had to be a reason for this. Glob wouldn't just allow her to be broken so many times, and then told that she was going to die. He couldn't. It wasn't fair.

The door to her tree house was open, so I just flitted inside, closing it behind me. As surely as though she'd materialized out of the air, as soon as I'd turned around to put my umbrella up, I felt her arms circle around my waist and her press against my back. It felt damp, and I could hear her sniffling into my t-shirt.

"Hey, Fi," I chuckled half-heartedly. "Could I get some of that?"

Despite herself, I could hear a soft, breathy giggle and she let go. I spun on my heel to give her a proper hug, realizing that there was something I'd been missing these past few weeks. That revelation brought to light something else as well, something that I hadn't thought of before. I reeled slightly, but didn't have time to muse over it further.

Fionna grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me into the living-room, plopping me onto the well-worn couch beside Cake. I waved, attempting to show off a white flag. We hadn't seen each other since that rainy night, and I was pretty sure that she still wasn't feeling terribly fuzzy about me. But, more than anything, she just looked worried. Turns out we weren't so different, I supposed.

Fi looked at the both of us and wiped at her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Like a veil being flung aside for a split second, I could see the older Fionna. Strong and powerful, ready to take on the world.

"You both know why you're here," she began. "I took Beemo to soccer practice a little while ago, so she should be out of our hair for a while. I…I had a croak dream. You both know what that means."

Both I and Cake nodded our heads sagely. Croak dreams were supposed to tell you how you'd die. The Cosmic Owl would show up at the end as something like an official watermark. It could be years before they came true, or it could happen tomorrow. But they were usually 100% right on the money. I'd heard of a few stories floating around where people changed them, but most were just myths.

"The reason I need both of you is _how_ I died." She took a deep breath through her nose. "I was in the Underworld, with Death. He wanted to know if I was sure of what I was doing. I said yes. And…and then I could _see_ my body. I could see myself floating away from it, and I could see _through_ my hands. I think…" Again, she paused. "I think I was bargaining for Gumball."

_What?_ I was in complete and utter shock. I couldn't move a muscle. My limbs felt like lead, and her words had painted a horrific picture in my mind that threatened to drive me insane. She couldn't do that. That's not…fair. I stood up, ignoring the pain from my knee smacking into the table.

"No." I said firmly, my arms clenched by my sides. "I won't let you do something like that."

"You were there, too," she replied, frowning. "I could see you when I floated away."

"Fi, you're not-"

"HOLD UP!" Cake bristled angrily, pushing me out of the way to stretch her way face-to-face with Fionna. "What are you thinking of doing, girl? You are _not_ offing yourself on _my watch_!"

"I wasn't thinking of doing anything!" Fionna protested, pushing her cat away. "See, this is why I didn't want to tell you! I _knew_ you'd act like this!" She sighed, suddenly looking vulnerable again, and rubbed her shoulders. "I just…I wanted you to hear about it. I had to tell someone, and…I trust you guys, alright? I wanted to let you guys know so that if I ever do go crazy, you can stop me from doing something like that."

Cake and I exchanged looks. "Fionna…"I began, as calmly and gently as I could, "Look, we're just worried about you, is all. I mean, it was a croak dream. It's not set in stone, and it could happen years from now, right? Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Marshall-"

"I'm sorry, did you mean to say, 'I promise not to do anything stupid, O Grand Lord of all Things Living and Non'?" I raise an eyebrow at her, folding my arms and eyeing her carefully.

Fionna snorted, rolling her eyes. She placed one hand on her heart and held the other one up. "Fine. I promise not to do anything stupid. Happy?"

"Mostly. You didn't add in the 'Grand Lord' part," I pulled a mock disappointment face. Cake shot me a glare, probably for flirting with Fi, and patted her shoulder.

"Let's go pick up Beemo," she said comfortingly, starting to walk towards the door.

"Yeah. Thanks, Marshall," Fi turned to me, smiling faintly. "for listening."

"No problem. Hey, call me again sometime, so I can get you back at Monster Battle." I waved goodbye to her and set out for my house, neck-deep in my thoughts all along the way.

She'd had a croak dream about saving Gumball by sacrificing herself. I'd downplayed it so she wouldn't freak out, but…This was serious. It wasn't just like any other dream, this was tremendous. And if it was true…_Why was I there, just letting her go through with it?_ Would she eventually be so broken up that the only way to fix it would be to get Gumball back?

I despised the thought. After all, I had realized something back there that rustled my jimmies beyond any comprehension, and it had everything to do with her. She clung to me like a burr, and sometimes, I hated her for it. But it had never occurred to be before today that I might be clinging back. That I needed her as much as she needed me.

And that made this whole, delicate situation a lot scarier.

_**A/N: H-hey, guys. **_

_**What's up?**_

_**Yes. This is horrifically late. Hate me if you'd like. But I had run out of ideas! After lazing on the couch and watching some older reruns of AT, I was hit by inspiration. **_

_**KER-SMASH! *sound of 'inspiration-brick' smashing through my skull***_

_**What if Fionna had a croak dream? So I figured, hey, it's better than the direction I had originally thought to take it. And it's not like anyone's still on the edge of their seat. (shame on me.)**_

_**ANNNYWHOOO, this does NOT mean that I'll be updating more regularly, but it does mean that the updates will be closer together. ('cos there's a plotline now.)**_

_**There will be a day when the race of men do not review the stories they read! BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY! **_

_**PS. Thank you to the commenter who said something about Marshall saving Gumball from death. That also factored into the inspiration-brick. Here's your digital cookie.**_


	7. Plan B

I didn't want to do it.

I took another deep breath, staring intently at the wall. I was sitting on the floor with my legs crossed, and a small carton of bug milk just within arm's reach. There was a face on the wall, and I had the chant in my head, but…I didn't want to do this. Every time I tried psyching myself up for it, just grab the milk, toss it on, and say the words, I couldn't move.

She'd want me to stay.

I growled under my breath and buried my face in my hands, pulling at my hair in frustration. It'd been forever since I spoke with my Mom. Last time, she'd tried to turn me into something like her. It took ages to get that taste out of my mouth after Fi helped me out. But she was the only one that I knew of who could mess around with Death and not get burned.

"Look, Marshall," I said again, inwardly beginning to get sick of my own voice. "This was the best solution you could think of. Bring GB back, and she won't have to. Hunky dory, just like that. Quit stalling."

Could I really do this? Trample over my own, personal issues, to try and cut to the dangerous chase with a girl who was slowly falling apart? Fi was sinking. And she was dragging me down to the depths with her.

"Fionna, I can't swim," I hissed miserably, grimacing. "Not like this. Not with both of us weighing me down."

I groaned loudly, throwing myself back to glare at the ceiling through my arms. _It's not going to get any easier_. Another readying breath escaped my lips, like a sigh of wind through dead trees; another habit that Mom would no doubt pick apart and find fault with.

"Get in, get out. That's it."

I didn't move for a few more seconds, hating my body both for not moving, and, when I finally reached out to grasp at the carton, hating it for going on. In one motion, before I could change my mind, I sat up and tossed it at the wall.

"Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum." I muttered, just loud enough to count as a chant.

The portal opened easily, and I stood. The minute I had stepped inside, it closed behind me with the familiar whiff of a magic circle being closed. Over the years, I'd developed the ability to move these portals to wherever I need them. This one, of course, led straight to Mom's place.

"Mom?" I called, stepping around a random couch. I had to give her credit for trying, but it was painfully obvious that she didn't really know much about decorating. Her game was, too. She'd been playing it for years now; maybe, just maybe, if she made the house comfy and homey, I might stay to take over the family business.

Sometimes, it felt like what I thought didn't even factor into the decisions and plans that she made about me.

"Marshall?" Her head poked out from one of the doorways, her red eyes wide in surprise. Her mouth stretched into a grin and she came running over to embrace me. "Oh, honey, welcome home!"

I hesitated for a moment before hugging her back. It only lasted for a second, though, before I pushed her away gently. She still looked the same as always, with her business-woman suit and orderly bun of raven hair. And always that hopeful smile on her face. The one that said, _you've come back for ever_.

"Mom, I have a favor to ask," I began.

"Oh, pshaw." She waved her hand dismissively. "What could you need lil' ol' me for? Unless, of course, you were thinking of-"

I tried again, my patience already beginning to stretch thin. "It's for a friend-"

Instantly, her face dropped. She turned on her heel, walking away a few steps before turning around and leaning against the doorframe, her expression like she was trying and failing to be indifferent. "Oh. A friend," she repeated flatly.

"I need a favor for Death. I want to bring someone back without losing anyone." I explained, hoping desperately to Glob that she'd listen for once.

It must've been a down day for His cosmic office.

"You can't do that, it's not allowed," she replied, looking at her nails detachedly. "Unless, and again, I'm just thinking of what's best for you, if you were, say, the new Lord of Darkness-"

"Mom. No." Exasperation settled its familiar weight around my shoulders. No conversation with her ever got anywhere. "I just…can't you do this one thing for me? Please?"

"Of course, sweetie. I'd do anything for Mommy's Little Monster." She drifted back over, patting my head affectionately. "In exchange…I want you to rule."

"I don't-ugh!"

My desire to help Fionna warred with my intense hatred of the whole Nightosphere issue that had been discussed over and over again. In the end, I don't think I'd be able to sacrifice this. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe it was a hugely 'douche-tastic' move. But haven't I given enough? How much more could Fionna ask from me? My life?

_I am so tired of all this. _

"I'm done. See ya," I said flatly. I turned to leave, disengaging from Mom's clutching arms. "Don't try to pull me back. Forget what I said."

"Marshall," she said warningly. "You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

"Yeah."

With that, I was gone, through the portal in less than a blink of an eye. Immediately upon returning to my own house, I started getting to work with a new portal. My emotions had dulled, suddenly.

I'm done.

If Fionna needs him so bad, then it's only logical that she'd dump the extra weight, right? Who needs a Vampire King who can't even rule the Nightosphere because he wants to laze about and play his stupid axe-turned-bass? It's not like he's actually useful. If she wants Gumball so much, and she's willing to off herself, then maybe I can finally mean something. And if I can't, then chances are I'll never be able to.

Angrily, I wiped the errant tears that had suddenly begun falling down my face. I stopped in the middle of drawing the portal to the Dead World, and curled downwards, my face planted firmly on the floor and my arms limp by my sides, clutching at my feet. My hands clenched into fists and I tried to make the waterworks stop by pure will, growling and hissing at them like some beast caught in a cage.

I'm done.

I'm so done.

_**A/N: Whoah-ho, an update?! No way. SO unlike me, right? LOLOL. Sorry, guys. School, like, hit me like a train and was like, 'DUDE, suddenly, you have to do this and, like, fifty million other things and they're all due tomorrow, kthnxby.' And I was all like, 'NUUUUU….' And then I got REAL distracted and never really thought of updating. **_

_**BTW, have you guys seen the Bad Little Boy episode? ASDFJKL. A million dollars to whomever brings me Marshall's voice actor in a burlap sack. **_

_**Ysplz. **_


	8. Goodbye

It was no trouble getting into the dead world. The dead creatures that dragged themselves by their bellies across the rugged landscape weren't of any threat, either, as I had been dead for as long as I could remember. There was no fresh flesh for them to munch on here, just another walking corpse.

I had nothing for them.

The thought struck me as kind of darkly poetic, in a way. There was nothing I could give them; no warmth, no reassurance, nothing. Maybe that was the way I appeared to everyone. Useless. Existing only for himself. Selfish, even.

Not that I was doing this for myself. I was just so sick of it all. Why Gumball, Fionna, when I'm standing right here, and have been all this time? Why me, Mom, when I have never done anything to really make you proud before? I was tired of thinking. As I floated along by the worn paths of the underworld, I could almost hear the ticking of some imaginary clock, counting down the last minutes of my life.

There he was, right in front of the adorable little sandbox that he spent the majority of his time messing around with. He said that it helped him blow off steam. He said his job's more difficult that I could imagine. I'm guessing the dead world's full of idiots for the poor guy to manage.

"Hello, Marshall Lee," Death greeted me absentmindedly, tending to his sand garden with a surprisingly delicate hand. He didn't bother to turn around, instead electing to wave backwards in my direction.

"Death. I need a trade." Here I go.

He groaned, stretching as though he were an old man, cracking his back. "Sure, sure. You and everyone else, kid." He grimaced, or at least as much as he could, what with his face being a skull. It was actually pretty interesting that he managed to convey any emotion at all.

With a deft movement, he had turned, shoving his rake into my face with an expression of faint disapproval. "What makes you think you're special?"

I pushed the rake away, frowning. "Look, just trade my life for someone else. I need Gumball back."

He paused, his mind obviously spinning around with the prospect. "The prince?" he confirmed, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I need to keep a friend from making a mistake. So…?"

"You have to be completely honest. Completely sure that this is what you want. The dead world doesn't _do_ refunds, you know." He warned, eyeing me carefully. If I so much as wavered, I knew, he'd throw me back to the world of the living without the one thing that could fix the life up above. Fix Fionna. Give the sounds and colors back to reality.

"I'm sure. Switch us."

"No more light. No more dark. Nothing. You'll stay down here, with me. For eternity. You will hear nothing, you will see nothing, you will be nothing. Is this really something you want?"

I began to get frustrated. "Old man, just take me already! Take me and give back the prince of the Candy Kingdom! They need him up there." My voice grew hoarse near the end, and I had to bow my head to hide the fact that my eyes were threatening to water.

_Fionna needs him. _

"There are other ways of solving your problems-"

My arms flung out, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him violently. "Switch! _Now_!" I couldn't have him weakening my resolve. Either this got done or Fionna would do it eventually. I wasn't going to let that happen, not today, not ever.

Death shoved me off, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Don't say I didn't tell you so. This isn't going to hurt." He placed his hand on my forehead and pushed gently, like he had been feeling for my temperature and then decided that I wasn't worth his time.

Suddenly, my body was below me, and I was floating away, further from it and closer to this growing darkness that surrounded the ceiling. I'd never noticed it there before. I looked up, closing my eyes and feeling as I started to fade. _It'll all be alright. Everything. I've fixed everything._

"Marshall?!"

I looked down just in time to catch Gumball standing next to Death, his hands over his mouth and his eyes wide. He was staring down at my limp bod, his expression horrified and confused at the same time. It struck me as pretty funny that he looked drained, as though he'd been up in the real world long enough to have soaked up the depressing gray that had settled in.

"Hey, Gumhead," I whispered, a wry smile pulling at my lips. Everything was turning dark at the corners of my vision and I couldn't tell whether I still had feet or not. The last thing that I saw was the ridiculously pink color of his hair.

_I'm sorry, Fionna. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I couldn't stay. _

_Glob, I'm so sorry. _

_Please don't miss me._

_**A/N: It's been forever since I've seen the episode with Death in it. Don't judge me~!**_

_**And I really love the name Gumhead, but I don't know why. It just seems like something I'd call him, I guess. WHEEEE LAME DEATH SCENEESSS~**_


	9. Playing the Martyr

The world was empty.

I was empty.

There was nothing left.

I remember thinking that I had done all that I could, that I'd fixed everything. I fell into a sort of sleep, encased by nothingness. But then, the unthinkable happened.

I woke up.

The light hurt my eyes, and the air hurt my lungs as I tried to remember how to breathe, before slowly realizing that I didn't need it. Where was I? I stared up at the sky, and my first thought was that it had all been a dream. Gumball was alright, Fionna was alright, and I had only dreamt about what had happened.

But the sky wasn't blue. It was red. I was in the dead world again.

Instantly, I sat up. What was wrong? Did Death reject my soul? Did Gumball give himself back up? I ground my teeth, determined that I would throw myself back in as many times as I needed to until he stayed in this world.

"Marshall."

My head whipped around of its own accord, taking in the familiar sight of the bright pink prince. He looked awful. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were surrounded by dark bags. Whatever was going on, he wasn't sleeping very well.

"Gumball?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from lack of use. "Who-"

Suddenly I knew. I scrambled upwards, my head screaming that it couldn't be true, Glob, don't let it be true.

Blonde hair, like the shining sun. Blue skirt, blue shirt. Pale skin. White bunny ears.

"No, no, no," I chanted softly, reaching down towards her. "No, Fi. No."

Her body was limp as I held her close, desperately searching for a pulse that I knew wasn't, couldn't, be there. Her eyes were closed, her face serene. But it was Fionna. I pressed her even closer to myself, cradling her head against my shoulder. My chest hurt fiercely, and I could barely get past the lump forming in my throat.

"Fionna, please. No. Don't let this be true. C'mon. Wake up. Hey, it's not funny anymore."

She can't be dead. Not the girl I know. Not strong Fionna. She laughs, and cries, and sings with her stupid cat, and dances and runs around to beat up the evils and….and…she was the only one who ever saw fit to look past what I thought I was. She was my friend, and I was hers, and now she was gone.

"Marshall, she's-" Gumball began, stepping towards me softly.

"And where were you?!" Anger overcame me, suddenly, and I bared my teeth at him, my whole body shaking. "What, did you just stand there?! Watching her give herself up?!" I stood, setting Fi down gently. "I traded myself for you! You were supposed to stay! To make her happy! What in the hell went wrong?!"

"She didn't want me!" He shouted back, firmly holding his ground. His own face, as drained as it was, twisted into a grimace of pain. "She didn't want me…" he repeated, quieter. "…if it meant losing you."

"What?" Just as suddenly as it had come, my anger deflated. I looked over my shoulder at Fionna, then back to the ground, frowning. "But-"

"I'm only here so that I could give you a message, straight from her, alright, so listen up." He began again, scowling. "She said she doesn't want her two best buds to be gone, and that she hopes we can get along. Plus some lame joke about watching us, which I didn't even get."

"Dammit, that's not what I wanted!" I ran a hand through my hair, clutching at the thick strands. "I'm going to have to go back in and save her now!" I shoved an accusing finger in his face. "And you're staying here!"

"That's not happening," Death suddenly appeared next to us, his expression displeased and his arms crossed across his skeletal chest. "You kids are doing nothing but cheating me, and I'm not going to sit here playing musical chairs with who's dead. She's staying down, unless you can properly convince me otherwise."

"What?" My stomach plunged down to my feet. He couldn't…he couldn't just keep her, could he? That wasn't playing fair. He…couldn't do that.

"You have to learn not only that your actions have consequences, but that I'm _Death._ Y'know, final judge, last say in the whole life thing?" he shrugged. "Just bringing someone back to life doesn't solve any _real _problems, and I think you all need to figure that out on your own."

Gumball and I exchanged worried looks at this new piece of news. So…so what? Was this it? Were we just going to let her die all alone, hoping that she could save us from ourselves?

Dammit, Fionna. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Wait, please-" I began, reaching forward.

"Nope. See ya kids later, and don't even think of trying to talk me out of it. Come back when you've solved everything. Oh, and by the way, bring something worthwhile to trade. I'm upping the price as of right now."

With that, the Dead World disappeared from around us, leaving us in front of Fionna's empty treehouse. He'd kicked us out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gumball hissed under his breath.

I didn't look up. My head was bowed away from him, because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to stop myself from clawing his eyes if I saw his face again. His smug little pink face. He'd rejected Fionna so many times, and yet she always came back, hoping that one day he'd look beyond the age difference to just give her a _chance_. And now he'd seen her die. He'd _watched_ her give up. I don't think I'd be able to let someone like that walk the same earth as me.

"I can't sleep! I can't eat! You know why? I'm dead." He added, volume steadily growing. He was obviously at a breaking point; all of his royal posturing out the window. "I'm supposed to be, anyway. It was my time to die and you brought me back. For what? Once I finally made my way back to the treehouse, she brushed right past me, going as fast as she could towards you. She _cried_ over your body, while I was standing right there. We had a chat about the state of affairs and she basically told me that everything was fine without me. _Everything was okay_. Do you know how badly that hurt? Of course you don't. You've never been in charge of anything, never been depended on."

It was at this point that I exploded.

"Never been depended on?!"I snarled. "Who do you think she went to when you died?! Who sat there, watching as she tried to put the pieces back together like a sick jigsaw puzzle?! I was there by her side the entire time you were gone! And all I got in return was 'Gumball this' and 'Gumball that'! I got you back because she needed you!"

"Well, she didn't." His eyes looked downright red and hideous, like I'd brought him back from the dead with my powers, which was never a pretty sight. Suddenly, I wasn't as angry. I may have even felt a little bad for the guy. Keyword: A little.

"I'm not losing her like this."

"You're not going to. I want to go back to being dead." He gripped his forearms, looking off to the side. "It was my time. I was supposed to die, and you crunked it up."

"How are we going to convince Death to let us back in?" I looked at him, hoping that that sciency brain of his still worked after all that time underground. To every bit of disappointment I had left in my body, he only shook his head.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know."

Globdammit all. I turned my head skyward, hoping to pieces that His Cosmicness might actually listen for once. Please, please let me get her back. My eyes closed against the rush of hideous feelings infiltrating the heart that once held only apathy.

Please don't make me break my promise.

_**A/N: Did I just update?! *shocked faces, everyone.* **_

_**So, guys, how's he gonna fix it? **_

_**The next chapter is going to be the last, unless I decide to put in an epilogue. I'm actually kind of proud of this. It's kept its main points intact, at least mostly. Although when I started it, I really wanted to go more into the nature of their relationship, rather than solving it. **_

_**But I get the feeling that if it were unresolved, you guys'd bite my face off. Plus, I dunno, I guess good endings aren't so bad. *reluctant acceptance of happiness in literature*…**_

_**Also, 'globdammit'. Lol. **_


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